Love Song
by marchingon
Summary: Mark called it the greatest love song of all time, and maybe it is. This is a five-part telling of Derek's love song for Addison. Addek.
1. Mitral Valve

**AN**: Hi everyone. This is sort of a compilation of one-shots about Derek's love song for Addison. I've been entirely obsessed with the song since they aired that episode, but I've only gotten around to writing this now. The stories are in chronological order, but they won't all match up to make one complete story. There are only five chapters, and it's clearly Addek. The prompts are taken from different lines in the song. :)

Hope you guys like it. And once again- I own nothing.

PS: If you're not familiar with all of the lyrics:

_Our eyes met over the cadaver, and I knew I had to have her._  
><em>Had his mitral valve grown too thick?<em>  
><em>Is that what made our cadaver so sick?<em>  
><em>Addison Montgomery, he met her in the summer.<em>  
><em>She was cutting up a very dead body.<em>  
><em>And in her eyes I saw my life,<em>  
><em>I knew that she would be my wife,<em>  
><em>And she would breathe the life back into me<em>  
><em>from everyday until eternity.<em>  
><em>Or until I'd be as dead as that body.<em>

- Grey's Anatomy 5x15

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><p>Prompt: <em>Our eyes met over the cadaver, and I knew I had to have her<em>.

* * *

><p>Derek Shepherd grinned broadly as he walked alongside his best friend Mark, both of them extremely excited. They had talked about cadavers pretty much since they got their acceptance letter to the summer program, knowing that being able to study one was a big part of medical school. It didn't hurt, too, that they were doing it ahead of everyone else they were graduating with.<p>

They were on their way to check the list for Anatomy—the list that told them who they were grouped with for laboratory, and the people they were going to spend every group activity with for the rest of their stay at Columbia Med.

"This is it, Mark," Derek said, adjusting the big book in his arms as they exited the auditorium.

Mark nodded, slinging his bag over his shoulder. "I doubt we'll be in the same group though," he said. "There's like a one in ten chance of us being grouped together."

Derek laughed. "Yeah, well. We'll need to socialize anyway. And network. We need to network."

"That's right. More girls," he agreed, knowing there was a bigger chance of them being introduced to a wider array of hot, fiery and determined girls if they were in different groups rather than them socializing in the same circles.

Derek rolled his eyes. "That's more girls to screw for you. We've been here, what, two weeks? And you're already screwing some girl."

But Mark wasn't paying attention as his head was turned, checking out a girl who had passed them by in the hallway. His attention only went back to Derek when he jokingly hit his chest with the back of his hand.

"Hey, watch it," Mark said warningly, merely shrugging at Derek's disapproving look. "I can't help it. Med school is the best place to find women who are driven and confident. Give it another month, and they're all too tired of studying, and you got yourself a roomful of women needing a good screw to release all the tension."

Derek laughed heartily, but rolled his eyes just the same. Mark was a manwhore, and he wondered how he had become best friends with him. But he had a good heart, and apparently, a good penis too, and he was just glad he had Mark with him, fulfilling their dreams.

They reached the bulletin boards, but there was a big crowd gathered around it that he knew he wouldn't be able to squeeze through.

"Wanna wait it out?" he asked Mark.

Mark nodded before he found a pretty blonde at the very back, deciding he wanted to chat her up. He winked at Derek before going up to the blonde, leaving Derek alone.

Derek hugged his book closer and then walked to the corner, his eyes scanning the crowd for a familiar face. When he found none, he settled by leaning on the wall and watching the crowd slowly disperse.

He didn't know how long he was standing in the corner before Naomi, a girl he had sat beside with in Physiology, flashed him a smile and walked over to him. He returned the smile and lifted himself from his leaning position on the wall.

"Hey, Derek," she greeted.

"Hey Naomi," he greeted back. "Got your groupmates all listed down, I see," he stated, eyeing the paper Naomi was holding.

Naomi shrugged. "Wouldn't hurt. I had to take down my room mate's groupies too," she explained. "And lucky for you, you're actually in the same group together."

Derek raised a brow. "Really?"

She nodded. "Addison Montgomery. You're in the morning session," she informed. "Befriend her, okay!"

Derek flashed her a big smile and nodded. "You know I will. What about you? Know anyone in your group?"

Naomi scowled. "No one but that guy who hit on me at the welcoming party."

Derek furrowed his brow, urging her to continue.

She sighed. "Sam Bennett. But I suppose it's a good thing I'm in the afternoon session. I can go and get drunk after each session, nurse the hangover in the morning, and report to lab in the afternoons."

He chuckled, gesturing to see the paper Naomi had scribbled on. She handed it to him and he perused it.

"Oh, you're in the same group as my friend," he explained, pointing to Mark who was still talking to the blonde.

Naomi raised a brow, gesturing in Mark's direction. "Oh, him?" she asked, her voice only slightly disdainfully.

Derek had to laugh at Naomi's reaction. "You seem to have issues with him."

Naomi shook her head, returning her attention back Derek. "He's dating my other roommate. Andrea Price." She paused, turning her head and sizing Mark up with her eyes. "Dr. Price's daughter," she explained in a hushed voice.

Leave it to Mark to screw someone, putting him in a dangerous position. Dr. Price was their Anatomy Professor. Derek chuckled. "Does he know?"

She shrugged. "I doubt it. You can tell him," she smiled. "But I have to go. I need to finish my paper for Biochemistry."

Derek nodded, smiling at Naomi. "All right. Thanks, Nae."

She patted his arm and smiled back. "You're welcome. Take it easy," she said, before she walked away, stuffing the paper into her pocket.

Mark was still busy talking to the blonde, so he made his way up to the bulletin board. No one else was looking through it, and he stepped up directly in front of the master list.

He scanned it. _Shepherd. Shepherd. Shepherd_, he thought, looking for his name. Shepherd. _Bingo_.

It read:

_Group 4:__  
><em>_Calloway, Georgina Marie__  
><em>_Farnon, Joseph John__  
><em>_Montgomery, Addison Adrianne Forbes__  
><em>_Patterson, Alyssa Cristine__  
><em>_Shepherd, Derek Christopher_ _Maloney_

He didn't know anybody. But Naomi had said her roommate was in his group- Addison Montgomery. He'd never met her, but he was bound to because they were going to be in the same group for the rest of their stay at Columbia. The prospect neither excited nor repelled him. The grouping was really nothing to him, at least for now.

Mark had come up behind him, slapping his shoulder as he came closer. "Found your group?"

He nodded. "I don't know anybody."

Mark laughed. "That's a good thing. Blank slate, no preconceived notions. A whole new ballgame."

That was one way to look at it. He just shrugged. Nothing was going to dampen his excitement.

Mark took his time to peruse the list, and grinned when he saw his name.

"See, I'm right there," he pointed. "Group 7. Bennett, Samuel Matthew. Jones, Naomi Jane, Markus, Markus Mark-" he scrunched up his nose and scowled. "What an ugly name. Who names their kid Markus Mark Markus?"

Derek shook his head and rolled his eyes. "It's an ugly name. But we're not his parents," he said, but he couldn't help laughing out the last bit.

"Man, am I glad I'm not him," Mark stated, turning his eyes back to the list. "Sloan, Mark Ilias," he grinned as he mentioned his name, "and Walter, Melissa Angela."

"There are two girls in your group, Mark," Derek pointed out. "And three men. Tough competition."

A low chuckle erupted from his throat. "I'm sure these two girls have friends they can introduce me to."

"They're not gonna want to introduce you to them. You're groupies with Naomi Jones, and she's roommates with Andrea."

Mark quirked his brow up in confusion. "So?"

"Andrea Price is Dr. Price's daughter," he explained.

A look of recognition spread on his face. "Oh," he muttered, allowing the information to digest. "Oh, well..."

Derek laughed. "Be careful next time, Mark," he warned, knowing it was his duty to keep him in line.

Through their friendship, it was since proven that Derek was the obedient, responsible type, and Mark was the happy-go-lucky, screw-everything-with-a-vagina type. It was Derek's job to remind him. They were both equally smart, and equally competitive, too. And if Derek said so himself- equally good looking. Just that Mark was a little more forward with his charm than he was.

Mark could only offer him a sly grin before he led Derek away from the bulletin boards.

The following Monday found Derek grabbing a pair of gloves and his lab gown in a hurry. He was running late, waking up at 8:30 for a 9am class. He stuffed his dissecting kit and mask into his backpack, grabbing his atlas from his study table and running like crazy to the laboratory.

He ignored Mark muttering something about him being too loud so early in the morning, rolling his eyes because he knew Mark had the afternoon session. He rushed through the hallway, almost hitting a janitor who was mopping up a spot in the floor before he apologized profusely, albeit hurriedly, while he kept going his way.

When he reached the laboratory, he was literally out of breath and had to hold on to the wall to even out his breathing. He checked his watch and saw that it was 9:10. In medical school, or in the field of medicine in general, 10 minutes could be the deciding factor between life and death, and he mentally kicked himself for having too much fun the night before.

Once he had composed himself enough, he adjusted his scrub top and entered the laboratory. Thankfully, no one had noticed him slip in. They were all getting ready, putting on their gowns in preparation for the activity.

He looked around the room, for the first time noticing the tables that he presumed carried the cadavers. There were blue pieces of cloth draped over the bodies, and he tried to contain the excitement already starting to bubble in his gut.

Slowly, he made his way to the fourth table, knowing it was his group because there were only four of them gathered around the cadaver. But before he could reach his table, their professor, who was eyeing him the entire time, took the microphone as he stood on the platform.

"Mr. Shepherd, so nice of you to join us," he said into the microphone, making all heads turn to him.

He blushed profusely, looking at his feet as he shifted his weight from one foot to the other. "I'm sorry, Dr. Price. I sort of overslept."

Dr. Price raised a brow at him, scribbling something on the attendance sheet then clearing his throat. "Oversleeping in the real world could cost you your job, Mr. Shepherd. Take this is as a learning experience."

Derek nodded meekly before going to his group's table. He ignored the sympathetic looks people threw his way, and kept his eyes firmly on the ground as he changed into the proper attire.

From the platform, Dr. Price shook his head for a moment before he proceeded to discuss the activity for the day.

He had been discussing a good twenty minutes before Derek finally recovered from the momentary bruise on his ego and started to listen.

"Sagittal plane, dorsal and ventral," he heard Dr. Price say, gesturing to the model in front of the class. "Since we are studying the human anatomy organ-based, we'll start with a longitudinal incision from the thorax to the navel. Make crosswise incisions approximately five inches apart to end up with this," he explained, drawing the desired incisions on the board.

"When you've opened it up, clear up the fascia and note of the following: greater omentum, the lungs, and the stomach. We'll go more in-depth in the next couple of meetings.

"Now remember, these are still human beings. So treat them with respect. Is that clear?"

A series of nods went through the laboratory, and Dr. Price walked to the edge of the platform.

"You may begin."

Derek turned to the table and smiled at his group mates. They were all looking through their laboratory manuals, studying them before starting.

"I'm Derek," he announced, and all of them, bar one, looked at him. They all had blank expressions on their faces.

But his smile didn't falter. "Sorry I was late."

A girl with honey curls and blue eyes met his gaze and smiled politely. "Georgina," she offered, her dimples pressing deeper as she spoke.

"Nice to meet you," Derek said, flashing her a dreamy smile.

Georgina nodded mutely, acutely aware that Derek was incredibly good-looking.

"Joseph," the guy beside Georgina said, reaching to shake Derek's hand. Derek took it, shaking it firmly. "You can call me Joe."

"Nice to meet you Joe."

A stubby girl with brown hair and a mole on her cheek, who noticed that Derek was cuter than most guys in the program, offered him a big grin. "I'm Alyssa," she said, introducing herself.

"Hi Alyssa. I'm Derek," he answered, returning the smile.

There was an awkward pause between all of them, no one knowing how to carry the conversation on. Derek turned his attention to redhead beside Alyssa, thoroughly preoccupied with the atlas before her.

Her red hair was in a ponytail, and her brow was knit slightly as she studied the diagrams. Alyssa nudged her with her elbow, and she looked up to meet Alyssa's signaling gaze.

"Oh, what?" the redhead said, confused.

Alyssa pointed to Derek with her lips while he cleared his throat. He was standing across all four of his group mates, the cadaver between them a telltale sign of his tardiness that morning.

The redhead turned her head and met Derek's gaze, her blue eyes meeting his in an instant.

Derek's breath hitched. She was beautiful. She was beautiful, and he felt like that was still an understatement.

They stared at each other for two seconds before Derek noticed how her look turned from curious to odd. She was waiting.

"Oh, um. Hi," he managed, only missing the stuttering the slightest bit. "I'm Derek," he said, extending his hand across the cadaver.

She eyed it warily before nodding. "Addison," she replied, shaking his hand for a brief second before turning her attention back to her book.

Addison. This was Naomi's roommate. She had told him to make friends with her. But Naomi failed to mention that said roommate was gorgeous, her red hair a beautiful contrast to her blue eyes.

Derek smiled to himself. He was giddy. And nervous. And excited. Addison Montgomery was perfect.

He remained staring at her as she perused her atlas one last time before exhaling, seemingly ready to start.

"Are you guys ready?" Addison asked, slipping her latex gloves on.

A chorus of yes echoed across the table and she smiled. Georgina, who was now at the head of the table, reached for the blue cloth on top of the cadaver and pulled at it gently. It revealed a dead white man on the table, very naked and just, well, very dead.

Derek eyed the corpse suspiciously before he pulled his mask on and slipped the latex gloves into his hands.

Alyssa recoiled almost instantly, and Joe looked like he was about to faint. Georgina made a sign of the cross and looked heavenward. Addison pouted before grabbing her scalpel.

Derek had to chuckle. Addison looked just as fierce as her red hair implied, and she seemed incredibly determined.

"Does anyone want to make the first incision?" he heard her ask, offering the scalpel up to all of them.

Everyone shook their heads. The first incision, on their first lab day, was daunting. Nobody was willing to make a mistake, and only Addison seemed confident enough to do it.

Addison flashed him a look, raising a brow as if to ask if he wanted to do it. He raised his hands up and grinned.

"All yours," Derek said, the mask hiding the way he smiled.

Addison nodded and prepared to slice up the cadaver. She positioned the scalpel's blade on the mediastinum and pressed on it lightly. Immediately, a clear fluid started to leak out, and out of the corner of his eyes, Derek saw Georgina take a step back.

Addison then continued trailing the scalpel all the way to just below the navel, ignoring the stunned expression of her group mates' faces. The horrible smell of chemicals didn't deter her, and she continued to cut until the required length was achieved.

When she had extracted the scalpel, she took a step back and admired her work, smiling to herself. Her touch was light and efficient. She knew right there she'd make a great surgeon.

Derek recognized the sparkle in her eye and had to remind himself that there was only so much staring deemed socially acceptable. Shaking his head to get him to concentrate, he held his hand out to Addison to borrow her scalpel.

She handed it to him.

"Clean cut," Derek commented, complimenting her on her work. Addison only blushed.

He examined the cut and was proven right. The delicate cut was clean and perfect, a sure sign that she was a great student. Derek immediately felt the need to impress her.

Positioning the scalpel above the left breast, he just as delicately cut a crosswise incision on the cadaver, ignoring the strong stench of formalin that assaulted his nose even behind the mask.

Addison watched him and noticed how he turned slightly green at the smell of the chemical. When he stood up straighter, Addison raised a brow at him.

"Nice cut," she commented dryly.

They stared at each other for five seconds, trying to read the other's eyes. There were in no way considered friends, not yet anyway, but Derek felt an immediate connection with her. The moment was only broken by the sound of Alyssa's footsteps echoing as they pounded on the floor when she ran to the nearest trashcan to puke out all her breakfast.

xxx

A week later, Derek still couldn't get over his curiosity. Addison was a mystery. She was well confined to her own group of friends, who, he realized, included Naomi Jones, Andrea Price, and another girl named Rebecca. They were inseparable, but she was different. She seemed, for instance, more headstrong than the rest of her friends, and looked like she came from a wealthy family.

She was a Forbes-Montgomery, the former being a dead giveaway of the wealth. She was out of his league, but he was determined. He needed to get to know her, to first be her friend, and then hopefully be something more.

It was stupid, considering he's never even had a conversation with her. All week, he had been keenly aware of where Addison was seated, the way she tucked her loose locks behind her ear, the way she eagerly took down notes in each and every class. He was always so close to her that she was always within earshot, and he'd hear her dry humor, her witty retorts, her caustic remarks delivered in a voice that could only be called Addison's. She was wonderful, and he wanted her.

There was something in her eyes, something that made his heart beat a little faster and his ears burn. He didn't know about other people, but he liked the feeling. He liked it and he wanted it back- everyday for the rest of his life if possible.

During their next Anatomy laboratory, Derek made sure to set his alarm so he could be at the lab early. He wanted to see her, maybe chat her up. He hoped she was the kind of student who was always early for her classes, brushing up on her notes so she'd be prepared for succeeding lectures. And he was right.

He was leaning on the door as they were still locked, mindlessly flipping through the atlas when she arrived. Her hair was pulled back again, and she seemed to be smoothing out her scrub top, or maybe removing a stain. He couldn't be sure from that far.

It was 8:15, and nobody else was in the hallways except them, granted it was too early to be in school on a Monday. Derek smiled to himself, seizing the opportunity to let her know he existed.

When she neared him, Derek stood up straighter and cleared his throat, earning her attention.

"Hey," he greeted warmly. "Addison, right?"

She nodded, still clutching her top with disdain. "Yeah. Hi, Derek."

There was a goofy smile on his face when he realized she remembered him. But before he could comment on that, her attention was back to the top, and he could hear her groan in frustration.

"Something wrong?" he asked, walking and stopping about half a foot from her.

Addison's eyes met his, and it took a Herculean effort not to get lost in it.

"I spilled some coffee on me this morning," she explained, gesturing to the brown stain on her light blue scrubs. "I can't get it off."

Derek examined the stain and pulled his backpack to the front, fishing out a pack of wet wipes. "Can I help you with that?" he offered, holding the wet wipes up for her to see.

Addison looked suspiciously at the wipes before she sighed. "Please," she said, allowing him to pull out a wipe and start running it over the stain.

Addison was aware that they were mere inches apart. She could feel his hand gently trying to erase the stain, even slipping slightly under her scrub to try erasing it at a more efficient angle. She tried to hide the blush that crept up to her cheeks upon realizing how they must have looked.

Derek, on the other hand, was concentrating on the task at hand, though he couldn't help but grin at the way Addison stiffened slightly under his touch. But she relaxed eventually, and that made Derek feel hopeful.

After a while, the stain still wouldn't come off, and Derek took a step back and straightened up. He flashed her an apologetic look.

Addison groaned, exasperated. "This is hopeless," she cried. She was always neat and impeccably put together. The stain bothered her to no end, and she knew she'd think about the whole thing even through the lab period. There wasn't much time to go back to her flat because she lived off campus and still needed to take the shuttle to her building.

Derek sensed her frustration and looked at her sympathetically. He had an extra pair of scrubs in his locker, but they were only there for emergencies. They were a horrendous color of salmon pink- something his mother bought for him before he moved. For that reason, they were strictly for emergencies because he didn't dare be seen wearing something so hideous.

But Addison looked she really wanted to change, so he pursed his lips, debating if he should offer the scrubs. And before he could think things through, his mouth was already forming the words.

"I have an extra pair of scrubs in my locker," he offered. "They're an ugly pink, and they'll probably clash with your hair. But if you really need it... I mean... You can just get the top. I think that'll look okay."

She looked up at him and saw that he was sincere, that he really wanted to help. Besides, he looked cute when he was nervous. So she thought about it and figured it would be better than anything, so she nodded.

"If it's no trouble," she started, smiling shyly. "I'd appreciate that."

Derek flashed her a big smile, shook his head and then lead her to his locker. He put in his combination, pulled the scrub top and handed it to her.

"It's pretty big..."

Addison scrunched her nose. "I can do with this," she smiled, before she disappeared into the ladies room adjacent to his locker.

Two minutes later, she emerged, the pink scrub top on her, the sleeves folded and the bottom knotted behind her. To Derek, she looked extremely sexy, pulling off the oversized, hideously colored scrub top effortlessly. He stood there, his mouth agape, appreciating Addison's gentle curves.

Addison shifted uncomfortably under his scrutiny. "That bad?" she asked.

He shook his head immediately, making his way to her. "You look great," he said honestly.

She blushed, making her almost drown in the salmon scrubs, before Derek cocked his head to the side to signal for them to walk back.

"Thank you for you this, Derek" she said, gesturing to the scrubs. "I was close to panicking."

"You're welcome. It's not everyday someone as independent as you needs any help."

She furrowed her brow and looked at him as they continued walking. "Oh?"

Derek shrugged, thinking it was good a conversation as any. "You always know what to do, and you're always so composed," he explained, thinking about the way Alyssa had thrown up the week prior, "and, well, you don't seem like the kind of girl who needs help much."

She contemplated this before nodding in agreement. "I try to be self-sufficient."

"You're doing a very good job at it."

"Thanks," she said, a genuine smile gracing her lips.

When they got back to the laboratory, she kissed him hastily on the cheek in thanks before hastily walking to their cadaver table.

Derek blushed profusely, took another moment, and then followed her to the table, where classes were just about to start.

Addison Montgomery was a charmer. And as he sighted the cadaver on the table, he muttered something about the man dying right after seeing Addison, because she was such a vision. Like, maybe his mitral valve got too thick with the excitement? Maybe.

* * *

><p>Thanks for reading, guys. This is a pretty long shot. The other chapters won't be as long, but they're all awesome Addek goodness. Let me know what you think? Thank you! :D<p> 


	2. I Wrote That Line

AN: Okay, so I didn't think anybody would read this, or that this story would pick up. I thought no one reads any more Addek fics nowadays because, well, the show is on its 8th season and I figured people would be losing interest in Addison and Derek. But Addison and Derek are strong, at least in the fandom. We are Addison-and-Derek-fans, and _we don't quit_. Haha. Okay. I'll stop ranting and explain this installment.

So, I said before that this story is basically going to jump time lines. I mean, it'll still be in chronological order, but there won't necessarily be a fixed amount of time between the stories. Did you get it? Okay. Just to make things clear because I'm not sure I got my message across. English isn't my first language so I kind of don't know if I'm making any sense. Haha.

And most importantly, the best part of ANs is this: saying thank you to the people who still read ANs and, of course, the story itself. Thank you so much to everyone who read and reviewed. It means a lot to me. This whole writing thing is taking away precious study time, but I wouldn't have it any other way.

OH. And this installment is extremely short compared to the first one. All the rest will be approximately this length. The first one will kind of stick out like a sore thumb. So yeah. I'm rambling

ON TO THE STORY!

-I own nothing.

* * *

><p>Prompt: <em>"Did you guys get to that part where Derek rhymes Gross Anatomy class with Addison's finances? I wrote that line." (Mark Sloan, 5x15)<em>

* * *

><p>Derek groaned frustratedly, scratching off a line on the piece of paper before him. He looked at the sheet, groaning as he realized the once white paper was now almost entirely gray, lines written horizontally and diagonally and all other ways in an attempt to accommodate all of his ideas.<p>

He was writing a song. What possessed him to write a song, he wasn't entirely sure. All he knew was that he was head over heels in love with a certain redhead, and he wanted to do something special for her.

He had written the first verse- one that depicted how they had met. He got the whole concept written down, somewhere on a page at the back of his notebook. He wanted the song to show the progression of their relationship- from the day they met to the future he was hoping they'd have together. So since he'd already gotten the first verse down, he wasn't sure how else to continue. Finishing the song was a long shot. Finishing it before he got married three days from today was even more impossible. He had never written a song, never tried to compose a tune. But like he had previously acknowledged, he was in love.

Never mind that he didn't know how to sing, not even to save his life. Never mind that he can only play the guitar but still be left unable to carry a tune. And never mind that he was entirely clueless with everything related to creative writing. He wanted to do this- for her. It was unexpected coming from him, and he was looking forward to the delight he was sure he'd find in Addison's eyes once he'd sung it. Addison wasn't the most sentimental person he knew, but he knew she'd appreciate it. Because it was her song, and he wrote it for her.

Oh, and never mind that he was enlisting the help of the most emotionally constipated man he'd ever known- his best friend Mark Sloan.

Studying the first verse, he realized he had so many ideas, bits and pieces of lines that only needed to be coherent. Beside him, Mark was strumming on his guitar aimlessly. He didn't know how to play, that much was easy to figure out, but he was finding immense pleasure in seeing Derek groan irritably at his company.

He'd been sitting on his couch for almost half a day, strumming away as if he knew how to play. Halfway between Derek's first sigh of hopelessness and his latest groan of frustration, Mark realized that playing with Derek's guitar was putting the man on edge more than he'd care to admit. And he liked it.

"You're not helping, Mark" Derek muttered, his head aching slightly. "I can't concentrate with your damn strumming."

Mark stilled his fingers and chuckled. "Hey, you're the one who wants to write a song."

He rolled his eyes. "Yes, and you said you were going to _help_ me." _Not drive me to insanity_, he thought.

"I didn't say I was gonna help you actually write it, seeing as I don't understand why you're doing this in the first place."

Derek huffed. "Well, the least you could do is be supportive."

Mark smiled. "I'm being supportive. This is the only way I know how. I'm drinking your beer, I'm playing with your guitar, I'm keeping you company. I'm being supportive," he reiterated, taking a swig of his beer to emphasize his point.

Derek sighed. "Maybe this is a bad idea. I'm not even sure she's gonna like it." It wasn't that he was growing desperate or anything. Well. Who was he kidding? He was growing desperate.

Mark set the guitar aside and looked at Derek. "Look, Addison is gonna like it. You guys are stupidly in love, she'll overlook that it's badly written and terribly cheesy."

Derek smiled good-naturedly, thinking of Addison who was probably getting some last minute wedding preparations done. "I'd like to think she's in love me, or else she won't marry me."

Mark rolled his eyes is slight disgust. "Look, I'm well aware of that. You don't have to make a spectacle of yourself. Just write whatever comes into your head, finish the damn song, and sing it at the reception. It's that easy."

"Not helping, Mark," Derek reminded, standing up to grab a bottle of beer from the fridge. He'd already had two, and he probably needed more if he wanted to finish it.

"You were the one who decided to write this song three days before the wedding. Maybe if you told me, what, a year ago when you first got engaged, I would've found enough time to come up with stellar ideas," he said jovially.

From behind the kitchen counter, Derek flashed him a look. "Yeah, well. There's no use complaining now. So just help me finish it."

Mark shook his head. "Whatever man. I don't know what possessed you, but you're not Elton John to magically come up with a love song in three days." He paused, then slapped the guitar on top lightly. "Hey, that's an idea! Why don't you just sing that Elton John song. What's that song?" He asked, furrowing his brow trying to think of the song's title.

"Your Song?" Derek asked, grabbing the bottle opener from the drawer. "Mark, I can't even sing—"

"Then why are we even doing this?" he asked, cutting Derek off and throwing his hands up in the air.

"Because. Okay? Just because," he said adamantly. "But like I was saying, I can't even sing a damn song, I'll probably ruin Elton John for her. Besides, it won't be _her_ song."

"She doesn't have to know you didn't write it."

"Addison isn't stupid," Derek said, taking a swig of his beer before he threw the bottle opener into the sink. "And she's a closeted Elton John fan."

Mark scowled and reached over to grab the paper from the coffee table to scan it.

"You know, most people just write their own vows, not a whole damn song," he muttered, scanning the piece of paper. His expression turned from petulant to amused.

Derek didn't answer, only leaned on the doorframe as he watched Mark's eyes scan the piece of paper with that devilish grin of his. He had some really crappy ideas, and he was sure he was never gonna hear the end of it if Mark read it. But he needed his ideas, too. He'd deal with the teasing later on. What mattered right now was making the song exist.

Mark fought to keep a straight face, but that resolve quickly broke in a matter of two seconds. The song was ridiculous. It was incredibly ridiculous that Mark couldn't classify it as a love song. Who mentions heart valves and dead people in a love song?

He broke out laughing, earning a glare from Derek as he made his way back to the couch.

"Thanks a lot, Mark," Derek said sarcastically, trying the snatch the paper away from Mark.

But Mark held on to it tightly, still laughing, taking quick glances at the paper before bursting out yet again.

"Mark," Derek whined. "You're not helping. Focus."

Mark kept on laughing, receiving more glares from Derek. He couldn't help it. Anything art-related wasn't considered Derek's strongest suited. The only things that saved the man from being completely art-inept were his guitar, The Clash, and his cooking. The man had some pretty good cooking skills. But that was entirely beside the point.

After a while, Mark had calmed down enough to take a look at the song again. He bit his bottom lip to keep a straight face.

"Our eyes met over the cadaver, I knew I had to have her," Mark recited dramatically, raising one of his hands up in a Shakespearean gesture. "Poetic, Derek. _Poetic_."

Derek sighed. "Alright fine, laugh. Get it out of your system. Just help me finish it." Mark was being Mark. It's always been that way since they were kids. Between the two of them, Derek was more sentimental and Mark was, well… he got the right term once before: emotionally constipated.

Mark smirked, fighting another burst of laughter, and then turned back to the paper. "You want a second verse?" he asked, rolling his eyes.

He nodded, picking the pencil up from the coffee table and handing it to Mark. "Suggestions?"

Raising a brow, Mark studied the song and tried to figure out where he wanted to go with it. He could see Derek's ideas scribbled all around the paper, and he tried to put two and two together to get coherent thought. "So you're saying you met in Anatomy?"

Derek nodded again. "Gross Anatomy. You know that." He smiled to himself, remembering the day he had the pleasure of being introduced to the redhead.

It was Mark's turn to nod, pushing down the sarcastic retort he had bubbling in his throat in an attempt to be supportive. He was really bad at this.

"Had his mitral valve grown too thick? Is that what our cadaver so sick?" The song needed a lot of work. He couldn't even begin to describe it. It was more than ridiculous. Maybe the right word was _horrendous_. If he sang this in the middle of nowhere, even the cows of some uncharted land would get upset and die.

Derek smiled, noticing the way Mark scrunched his nose up in the way he did when he wasn't trying to be mean.

"Yeah, so that's the first verse. I need a second one." Derek paused, trying to remember what he wrote in his outline. "I want the second verse to say something about our whole relationship."

At this, Mark had to snort. "You mean how you're so poor that you go on dates, and Addison ends up paying for half of the tab?"

He shot him a glare. "Hey, that was _one_ time! And I _resent_that."

Mark snorted again, but didn't say anything. He was wracking his brain for something, something that could fit into the horribly written song. It was cheesy and so… unmanly, but he'd never say that to Derek. He was trying to be the supportive best friend.

"Okay, how about this?" Mark looked to Derek and saw that he was listening attentively. "_We made out in Gross Anatomy Class/ and argued over her ridiculous finances_?" all the while fighting the sly grin that was creeping on his face.

He knew Derek and Addison made out in the back of the laboratory, which was really sort of creepy because there were cadavers all over the place. He also knew it was risky to put it in a song Derek was to perform in front all their friends and family. But it would be a great addition to an already godforsaken song.

Derek heard it, pondered it, and was about to throw a pillow into Mark's face before the line grew on him. It wasn't Shakespeare, but then again, even the ones Derek wrote himself weren't Shakespeare.

It would have to do.

With a nod, he met Mark's mischievous eyes and nodded. "Write it."

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><p>OKAY. So that's the second one. There are 3 left, but I'm debating whether or not I should put in a 6th because I got another idea. But that would false advertising, right? LOL. Anyway, thanks so much for reading! Let me know what you guys think? THANK YOU! :)<p> 


	3. Be My Wife

AN: Okay. So I made a mistake in the last chapter. Thank you to _IsabellaKhach_ for pointing it out to me. It was supposed to be Addison's fine a** instead of finances, and I stand corrected. At first, I was like "_really?_", and then I rewatched the scene to be sure, and yeah. Isabella was right. The line makes so much more sense now! Haha. Thank you, IsabellaKhach! Let's just _pretend_ I was trying to make the story K+ haha. :)) That's my excuse. :))

Anyway. Thanks for reading and reviewing. This is the next installment, and it's the one with the shortest time interval with the last chapter. Everything else is on severe fast forward. I know Addison wasn't in the last one, but she's in this one and she actually talks here. Haha.

That said, thanks so much for reading! I hope you like it. :)

- I own nothing

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><p>Prompt: "<em>And in her eyes I saw my life, I knew that she would be my wife<em>."

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><p>In the middle of their dinner of steak and carbonara, and maybe some ridiculously expensive red wine, the wedding coordinator whispered something into Derek's ear, and he nodded.<p>

Addison looked at him curiously, before he shrugged, smiling up at her nonchalantly.

"Something wrong?" Addison asked, her hand toying with the new wedding band on her finger. Her meal was only half consumed, and her red wine surprisingly untouched.

Derek shook his head. "She was just asking about the program," he answered, taking Addison's hand from under the table and smiling at her reassuringly once more. "Just enjoy the reception, Addie."

Addison grinned at him and pecked him chastely on the lips. "I love you," she said, her heart almost bursting with the emotion she felt for the man before him. She found it extremely odd for her to randomly voice out the affection, but today was different. She said it at every opportunity, with the most conviction she could muster, knowing full well it was because it was true.

"I love you too," he grinned back, stroking her cheek gently. His own wedding ring glistened under the light, a constant reminder that he was hers. They were completely oblivious to the photographer taking countless pictures of them to capture the quiet moment.

After another second, Addison turned her attention back to her food, taking a bite of her steak and chewing it cautiously. Her Vera Wang wedding dress flowed to the floor, her red hair pulled up, with some loose curls escaping from the side. She looked really simple, but beautiful and elegant. She had opted to keep herself almost completely unadorned, save for the diamond studs on her ears (her something old, a gift from her grandmother when was eight), her engagement ring, and now, her new wedding bands. But most importantly, more than the way she dressed up for the occasion, she looked extremely happy.

To the side, she could keenly see her family sitting stiffly beside each other. They were so formal, and she could only pinpoint a handful of her family members who were having fun- most of them not even from her immediate family. Her parents were eating their dinner quietly, her mother no doubt downing her nth glass of wine at the atrocity that was a Forbes-Montgomery marrying a penniless Shepherd, and her father trying his best to be supportive, even looking slightly happy for Addison because he knew she was marrying out of love, and not out of convenience. Archer was sitting next to Addison's great aunts, discussing some family tradition or other—traditions Addison had tried her best to avoid.

To the other side, she didn't even have to turn to know that Nancy was laughing extremely loud, maybe with her husband, or that Kathleen was being hit on by Mark, inconspicuously of course because they were playing with the flower girls, or that Amelia and her boyfriend were making out in a corner. She didn't have to turn to see that Derek's cousins were busy planning something devious, and that his nieces and nephews were horse playing across the dining hall. Derek's family was a stark contrast to hers, but at this moment, she didn't really care.

She didn't care that her own mother was downing her another glass of wine, still incredibly displeased at the whole idea of her marrying Derek Shepherd. She didn't care that her new mother-in-law was straining a smile and forcing herself to be happy for her son, who was now smiling goofily to himself. Carolyn Shepherd disapproved of Addison, but for Derek's sake, she was making an effort to be nice. Addison knew, even then, that it would always take constant effort from her to make sure she stayed on Carolyn's good side because she was going to be more of a mother to her than Bizzy ever was. But at the moment, she didn't give a damn.

All she cared about now was how blissful it was to finally be married to Derek Christopher Shepherd. All she cared about was that she was finally Addison Shepherd, and everything she ever needed to be happy was right beside her (although currently devouring a huge steak and a serving of pasta). She never thought of herself as one of those cheesy, emotional women who ended up crying at their wedding. And maybe she wasn't crying now, but the elation was present, and she understood. Being overcome by emotion wasn't something she was used to, but this, this intense happiness consuming her, was a breath of fresh air.

She smiled to herself. The logistics of her wedding day was everything a fairytale should've been, and she was willing to overlook the minor mishaps in order the preserve the perfect memory of that day. She had planned everything meticulously—from the flowers, to the cake design, to the songs to be played, even down to Derek's underwear. She wanted it to be perfect—and it was.

After the meal, Derek and Addison were whispering softly when Mark walked up to the microphone, clearing his throat. Everyone turned their attention to him, and he smiled in appreciation.

"Hi, everyone," he greeted, walking to the center of the dance floor with the microphone. His tux was well kept, a sure sign he'd been well-behaved throughout (which meant he wasn't making out with anyone at the back of the hall). He was also surprisingly sober.

"I'm Mark," he introduced. "The groom's best friend. I'm supposed to give a really embarrassing speech about our happy couple over here," gesturing to Addison and Derek. Derek glared at him jokingly, and the hall erupted in low laughter.

Savvy, Addison's maid of honor, had already given her speech before the meal had started. She was now sitting cozily next to her new husband, Weiss, and was still smiling at her own speech. She had told the people about that time Addison had made out with Skippy Gold behind the bleachers, giving Addison a nasty hickey on the shoulder with his braces imprinted on it. Addison was horrified that the story was being retold, sensing her family's discomfort. But in the end, it had been a good laugh, and she wished the couple well. But now—now it was Derek's turn to be humiliated.

Mark cleared his throat again, grinning at the audience slyly. "Derek and I have been friends since first grade. And in the years I've known him, I've only seen him entirely smitten by a woman twice."

Addison scowled, raising an eye at Derek. She nudged him, but he could only smirk and kissed her quickly on the cheek.

"The first time was in our junior year in high school, with some girl named Katie Samuels. She went to a different high school, was really pretty and had dimples on her cheeks, and made Derek stutter and stammer like he was mentally challenged."

He paused, the laughter echoing across the hall.

"I remember this one time, Derek wanted to ask her to Prom, and he tricked me into doing something extremely special for her. We wrote her a poem, sent it to their school paper, and had it published," he paused, turning his head to Derek to see him glaring at him jokingly. "Turns out, Katie had an over-protective boyfriend who didn't appreciate anyone flirting with his girl. The day after the poem was published, Derek's house was covered in eggs."

Another chorus of laughter from the audience, and Mark grinned in the direction of Derek and Addison.

"I don't even remember everything we wrote in that poem, only that it was extremely ridiculous and needed a lot of help. Honestly, it made Derek look like such a dork," he paused. "I remember he tried to rhyme Katie's deep dimples with really ugly pimples."

Everyone laughed, and Addison raised a brow at Derek. The man was insufferable sometimes.

"The only other time he was ever entirely smitten was with this gorgeous redhead right here," he said, turning serious as he gestured to Addison. Addison blushed and offered him a small smile. Mark wasn't a very sentimental person, but over the years, they had grown to know each other, and Addison was fond of him.

"Derek is... He's my brother. And if I know anyone who's going to take care of my brother, it's Addison." He flashed Addison a warm smile before he continued. "And if there's anyone who can assure Addie that Derek's gonna take care of her, it's me. Trust me, Addie. I don't think that incident with Katie can even compare to how he is with you."

Addison was touched by the sentiment, and Derek smiled before he pressed a soft kiss on Addison's temple. Addison knew Mark meant it. She and Derek would take care of his each other, and it went without saying that Mark was going to be a definite and permanent inclusion.

"I love you," Derek whispered into her ear, and she tentatively turned her head to him to return the words meaningfully.

Mark stepped a little forward, and the devious smile he had on a while back now returned. "And I think I can prove that to you now because instead of a poem, Derek actually wrote a _whole song _for Addie this time."

Applause and cheers went wildly into the crowd as they all howled for Derek to come up the middle and perform the song. Mark grinned at Derek, the crowd (especially Derek's sisters) started chanting, trying to get him to get up in the middle. Nancy, in particular, was deliriously excited that her little brother had written a song, and wanted to see him perform it in hopes of teasing him about it in the future.

Derek shook his head, blushing, as Addison laughed loudly, clapping her hands in delight. This wasn't how it was supposed to go.

"Did you really, Derek?" she asked, laughing brightly. "Did you write a song?"

Derek nodded shyly, suddenly embarrassed, the piece of paper with the lyrics on it, folded safely in his pocket, now feeling like pure lead. He was gonna kill Mark. He had decided on chickening out, knowing full well he was going to cringe at the memory of this a couple of years into the future. But the audience was persistent with their applause, and Addison was looking at him expectantly. How could he resist that look?

"Come on up, Derek," Mark said through the loud applause, motioning for the emcee to bring the guitar up. He was still grinning from ear to ear, pleased with himself as he was able to get the whole crowed hyped up in excitement for Derek's song. After all, he had helped him write the damn song—he might as well sing it.

Derek laughed heartily before he stood up, shaking his head as he leaned over to kiss the top of Addison's head and stepped up to Mark. The sound of cheering was deafening, and he couldn't wipe the smile off his face as he accepted the guitar. He could hear Kathleen and Amelia shrieking about getting a recorder to get a copy of his performance, and he could sense Addison's side of the family waiting almost impatiently for him to sing.

Holding the guitar in one hand, he fished for the lyrics in his pocket and handed it to Mark. Mark took it and leaned over and said into Derek's ear, "Some introduction, yeah?" He was half yelling because everyone had gone wilder when they saw Derek stand up, agreeing to performing the song.

Derek laughed. "Thank you, Mark. You can expect an equally embarrassing speech at your wedding." He paused. "And I'm going to _kill_ you."

Mark grinned and motioned for the people to calm down. He knew that Derek was thinking about not performing at all. He couldn't let that happen. They spent an entire afternoon writing it, and another afternoon setting it to music. If he didn't perform it, all their hard work would be for naught. That, and he couldn't resist taking the opportunity to embarrass him.

He held the microphone to Derek's mouth and took the paper from him as Derek positioned his fingers over the frets. He spread it so Derek could see the lyrics and the chords clearly.

Derek cleared his throat, shook his head and then smiled. "I was kind of debating whether or not to sing this thing," he said as the laughter died down. "I was afraid some ex boyfriend was going to throw eggs at mom's house after this." He grinned at Addison who smiled back at him, urging him to go on as her eyes sparkled with anticipation.

"But I'm glad to know I'm safe here because this woman agreed to be my wife," he said sincerely, taking a moment to meet Addison's eyes.

Pausing to adjust the piece of paper in Mark's hand, he lifted the guitar up a little higher and started strumming. If he was going to humiliate himself, he might as well do it the best way he could. He was both going to mean the song, and make a complete fool of himself.

_Our eyes met over the cadaver and I knew I had to have her__  
><em>_Had his mitral valve grown too thick__  
><em>_Is that what made our cadaver so sick_

Laughter was heard throughout the hall, and Addison looked down slightly embarrassed but still incredibly endeared by Derek. The song really did sound ridiculous, but it was sweet, and it was hers. Derek's eyes were closed, and his face was contorting into odd expressions—expressions that made him look like he was both grimacing and elated.

Derek kept strumming and singing, his singing off-key that it sounded like he was reading a poem rather than carrying a tune. But he didn't care. He decided then that he was going to put all of himself into his performance.

He opened his eyes and saw Mark trying hard to contain his laugh, biting his hand in order to keep it in, while their other friends, Savvy and Naomi and Sam and Weiss and a bunch of other doctors they studied or worked with, were laughing hysterically from the other end of the room. He was acutely aware of the amused smile on the Montgomerys lips, and the way his own family was recording the whole performance, no doubt to ridicule him eventually. He was on a high.

But it was Addison that caught his attention most, a permanent smile splayed on her face as she watched Derek with amusement and affection. She was seated beyond the spotlight, and she had just the right amount of lighting hitting her that it made her look like she was glowing. She was breathtaking.

A silly grin plastered on his face as he continued singing.

_Addison Montgomery, I met her in the summer__  
><em>_She was cutting up a very dead body_

Mark broke down laughing from beside him, but Derek turned his body to stare directly into Addison's smiling eyes. He ignored everyone else screaming in support and concentrated on Addison.

_And in her eyes I saw my life__  
><em>_I knew that she would be my wife__  
><em>_And she would breathe the life back into me__  
><em>_From everyday until eternity_

Everything around them faded away and there was just Derek and Addison Shepherd. They were staring at each other lovingly, relishing in the bliss that came with finally being married to each other. Derek's declaration of love resounded in both their ears, knowing full well Derek meant it wholeheartedly. It was a tender moment, and everyone in the room gradually sensed it, but there was just Addison and Derek in that universe, in that bubble. In retrospect, Addison would say that she was never able to capture the same exact sentiment after that. It was indescribable, and it remained preserved in her heart, in her head, in her soul.

The laughter in the room eventually died down, all the people looking at Derek expectantly. A soft smile was still on his lips before he reluctantly broke eye contact, and prepared himself for the final line.

"_Or until I'd be as dead as that body_" he sang, in the lowest pitch he could possibly manage, and the room burst again in enthusiastic, lively applause.

He met Addison's gaze yet again and shrugged, smiling at her and mouthing an "I love you".

And he meant it. He loved her. Truly and fully—he loved her.

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><p>Okay. Three down, two to go. The last two've already been written, and the 4th is slightly sad. But yeah. Thanks for reading! :)<p> 


	4. Breathe the Life Back

AN: Okay. Thank you guys for the reviews. :) This is the second to the last installment. I wasn't sure if I wanted to write it completely angsty, so I decided against it. It's not entirely sad. More like bittersweet. :) This is set in the crossover episode, so I tried to write the part where they actually sing the song. :) Anyway. Thanks for reading! :D

- I own nothing

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><p>Prompt: "<em>And she would breathe the life back into me<em>"

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><p>Addison sat across from him, her short hair falling a couple of inches below her ears, emphasizing her jaw line. In all the years he'd known her, he'd never seen her hair this short, and he couldn't help but that think that it suited her. She was beautiful that way- she seemed more relaxed, more vibrant and youthful and glowing. It was the most laidback he'd seen her in a while. She was different somehow, more than just the haircut and the apparent glow, although he should have expected that. LA had changed her, and it appeared to be for the better.<p>

She had told him earlier about how she had confined him to a box. When she had begged him to save Archer, to be a God and save the only man who has ever remained constant in his life, she had told him she had kept him in a box after the divorce. He wasn't expecting it, but it pained him to know that. The knowledge that he was significantly reduced in her head had made his heart ache just a little more than was necessary. He didn't want to be confined in a box. He wasn't petty or inconsequential or nothing special. He was her husband, damn it. Well, ex-husband now, but he cared for her profoundly. And if he were honest enough with himself, he'd admit that a part of him still loved her. Maybe not enough to keep them together, but enough that it hurt to see her this way.

And when he had walked into Joe's bar, and she told him he had been a God but that she needed to make him tiny again, to fit into the box, well, that pained him too.

They were talking about his surgery now, the craniotomy he had to perform when he was whisked away abruptly from her company. He tried not to think about it, but he felt both pained and at ease with her. The eleven years they had spent married to each other had created in him a lasting gravitation towards her, so much so that it rendered him helpless sometimes, but completely willing to give up his defenses.

Absently, he noticed the way Addison tucked a stray lock of hair behind her ear, smiling up at him comfortably. In the dim glow of Joe's bar, she looked like she could have been a fantasy—that despite the turmoil that came with her brother's life being in total jeopardy just earlier in the day, she managed to look beautiful.

He'd meant to tell her about Meredith and the engagement he was planning, meant to tell her about the ring, and in fact meant to do a lot of things when it came to her because she was still a magnanimous part of his life. But Mark had beaten him to it. Besides, he didn't really know how or where to start. He didn't know how to tell his ex-wife that he was planning to remarry, didn't even know if there was such a courtesy. But he owed her that much, even owed it to himself to tell Addison about it personally. Their relationship remained more complex than a simple friendship.

From the corner of his eye, he saw Naomi, Sam and Mark come up to their table, smiling as if they were planning something devious.

"Had his mitral valve gotten too thick," they sang almost drunkenly.

"Oh, God," he heard Addison say with a laugh.

"Shut up," he said good-naturedly, sighing and looking down in an attempt to look annoyed.

"Is that what made our cadaver so sick," they continued, Mark's voice singing a pitch lower than Sam and Naomi.

He cringed inwardly at the memory, closing his eyes as if to block out all the sounds around him, and the remembrance of Addison's reaction to the song.

"Oh, but we can't the chorus," Naomi explained, still standing adjacent to their table. "Come on," gesturing grandly with her hands.

"We get all the way to the second verse," Sam said, looking at Addison for some help. "Your name starts the chorus. Your name.."

Naomi nodded emphatically. "Yes, yes."

Addison flashed Derek a look before she took a deep breath, only acutely noting Sam's expectant gaze. "Addison Montgomery," she sang, gesturing with her hands.

Derek shook his head, smiling, his eyes wistful. She looked so playful as she sang, and for a moment he was transported to that time of place in their life together when everything was rainbows and butterflies.

"He met her in the summery," Addison continued, swaying her hands as she sang. The sass in her voice was ever present, and she looked at him with a wide grin.

"It wasn't summery," Derek protested, smiling as he explained it to Addison. He was aware the equally wide grin Mark had on his face, no doubt remembering the day they wrote the song together. "I'd never use summery as a noun," he paused, remembering the lyrics. "I met her… in the summer _she_" he explained.

"Oh, summer she.. Really?" Addison asked incredulously, somehow not remembering that. Maybe it was because everyone was cheering on so loudly while Derek was singing it at their wedding, or maybe because she was too preoccupied with Derek actually singing a song for her, but she never really noticed the lyric. She'd gone through the eleven years married to him without even knowing the lyrics to her own song.

"Yeah," Derek nodded emphatically, an understanding expression on his face as he watched Addison's face contort into one of amazement.

A look of recognition crossed Naomi's features, and she started to sing again, later joined by the two men flanking her sides. "She was cutting up a very dead body," Naomi smiled.

Derek watched them, trying to hide his amusement. "This is why I don't stay in touch," he explained good-naturedly.

Naomi laughed, taking a sip of her drink.

"And in her eyes I saw my life," Sam sang, bouncing slightly as he continued with the words he knew only by memory.

"I knew that she would be my wife," continued Naomi.

Derek cast his eyes down, a small, almost undetectable frown gracing his lips. He wouldn't let them show how the song was affecting him now, because he wouldn't admit, even to himself, that it still made him the slightest bit sad.

And now Mark joined them, still holding his drink with his other hand. "And she would breathe the life back into me."

Addison cast him an understanding smile, that same smile that let him know she was touched, or that she was feeling something emotionally but she couldn't quite explain how it felt. Her chin rested on her knuckles, and she almost looked like the doting wife who was trying to comfort her husband that was being teased mercilessly by his friends. He glanced back up at his friends, avoiding that look.

"From everyday until eternity," they continued, letting their voices die down in a gradual fading of notes, until all that was left was stillness.

An awkward silence befell then, as if they all suddenly realized how fast time had flown, and how different they had all become. They'd all changed, and that realization was less than comforting. Nothing was simple anymore. Sam and Naomi were divorced. Addison and Derek were divorced. All of them were moving on, and just... It wasn't the life they had dreamed of as naive medical students.

Derek glanced at Mark, who gave him a curt nod. From the corner of his eye, he could see Addison, staring at him wistfully and fondly and meaningfully. They were thinking the same thing. For a moment, he allowed himself to think that Addison was just as sad and regretful as he was.

How did they get there? They were screwed up, and they never thought they'd get to that point in their lives when everything they had shared was just a mere memory. When he looked at her, as in really looked at her, he could feel his heart ache slightly, the small smile formed on his lips a sad reminder of their past. And as their friends sang a song he had written to show Addison she meant the world to him, she seemed to him like maybe she still needed him in her life.

Another wave of pain and regret and wistfulness overcame Derek, seeing Mark's supportive hand rest on Addison's back. She firmly planted her hands on the table and smiled up at Mark appreciatively. It was with that gesture that he realized entirely what Addison and Mark were to each other—that despite the pain they had put each other through, they were still the best of friends. Maybe not in the most conventional of ways, but they loved each other. That realization just made him sadder. How could Mark keep his friendship with her when even the very thought of being friends with a woman he was so hopelessly in love with was a Herculean effort?

And then without warning, as if sensing the tension and wanting to break it, Sam belted out the last line in the way Derek had at their wedding,

"Or until I'd be as dead as that body," he sang, crouching down comically.

Mark tried doing it too, gesturing with his hand, causing all of them to laugh and Derek's eyes to widen.

"Yeah, you got it," Sam told Mark proudly, letting their glasses clink.

The sound of laughter filled the air. The sound was familiar—something he had shared with the same group of people countless times in the past, when he was younger and his dreams too big. He allowed himself to pretend, for a little while longer, that he was still Derek Shepherd, dating the beautiful Addison Montgomery, sharing a beer and a multitude of stories with friends he knew he'd keep for the rest of his life. But even then, it was only an illusion.

Later that night, Derek found himself in his car, thinking about the stupid song. He honestly hadn't heard it in years, hadn't thought of it in years even, but he was certain that when he wrote the song, he meant every word of it.

When Nancy and the rest of his friends had stopped teasing him about, he was nothing short of relieved. They had teased him without fail for a good two years after the wedding, bring the memory up in the most inconvenient times.

But whenever his sisters thought of bringing the song up to make Derek squirm, he'd look at Addison and she'd flash him a reassuring smile. The smile said everything— that she appreciated the song, that she didn't think it was all too cheesy, and that she recognized the sentiment behind the words. And that was enough for him. So when the relentless teasing stopped, the comforting look Addison used to give him over it ceased as well. But Addison wore that same look tonight, except this time it was tainted with regret and sadness and pain, knowing full well that he put some of that in.

But the love was still there, and that confused him even more. Because no matter how happy he was with Meredith, Addison was still Addison and she'd always be an indelible part of him.

So without second thought, he swerved his car to the right, making a sharp turn in the direction of Addison's hotel. He needed to see her, not just to reassure her, but to find reassurance from himself as well. They barely had a moment to themselves the entire day. Maybe it wasn't the most appropriate thing to be in one's ex-wife's hotel room almost two hours past midnight, but he didn't care.

Thirteen minutes later, he found himself knocking on her at an ungodly hour. It was well past two in the morning, and he hadn't had a decent sleep in two days. But as previously concluded, he didn't care.

He heard the shuffling of feet behind the door, and then readied to put on an apologetic smile as the door opened revealing Addison in her hotel robe.

"Hey," he greeted, shifting his weight to his left foot and stuffing his hands into his pockets. "I realize it's late but, and we've been together all night but—"

Addison cut him off with a shake of her head and then opened the door wider for him. She was almost expecting him to come. That stupid song being brought back up had triggered some painfully happy memories for her.

Derek stepped in and shut the door behind him, noting how Addison's clothes from that day were piled neatly on the desk. "I'm sorry. I know you must be tired. I didn't realize how late it was."

Addison looked at him and nodded, walking to the mini bar and grabbing two wine glasses and the bottle of wine. She knew how this conversation was going to go, and she was going to make it less painful for the both of them with the only thing that had helped her before—alcohol.

"You okay?" Addison asked, handing him one of the glasses and eyeing him a little skeptically.

He shrugged before accepting the glass, laying it on the coffee table then proceeded to take his shoes off. He set them beside the table and sat down on the couch, beside Addison. As if by nature, he draped his right arm on Addison's shoulder and pulled her closer to him.

Breathing in the scent of her hair, he kissed the top of her head.

"How'd we get here, Derek?" she asked softly, unable to meet his wistful gaze. She wasn't pulling away from his embrace, but she was conflicted. She had been fine in LA. She thought she had successfully eradicated every reminder of Derek in her everyday existence by putting him in a tiny box and shoving him to the very back of her head.

But now, with the reawakening of the damn song and the damn memories she had fought so desperately to forget, she wasn't sure about anything anymore. She was left to wonder the one thing she didn't want to because she knew it would only serve to rehash more memories, and inevitably more pain.

Derek sighed heavily, his voice equally soft. "I don't know," he said earnestly, his arm pulling her a little closer to him.

A momentary silence consumed them both before he extracted his arm and opted to lace his fingers through hers as he leaned back on the couch.

"I miss you sometimes," he admitted, whispering, as if afraid that someone else might hear him and accuse him.

It was Addison's turn to sigh, but she kept her gaze intently on their intertwined fingers.

"Yeah," she agreed, resting her head on his shoulder. "Me too," she stated honestly, somehow not fully grasping the idea of admitting something she hasn't come into terms with until that moment.

They stayed that way for a good while, Derek caressing Addison's hair, kissing the top of her head once in a while, drawing comfort from her mere presence. And when he decided he'd had enough pretending he was okay, that he was content with just the silence, he lifted his head from resting on top of Addison's and frowned.

"For the record Addie," he said softly. "When I wrote that song, I meant every single word."

She lifted her head up too and met his gentle gaze. "I know you did. I never doubted that."

Her voice was tired, as if she'd been fighting for something futile all her life. She seemed ready to give up, like she was cheerless and needed more than just good company and good memories.

"I still love you," he said truthfully, knowing in his heart it was true. Addison was still the love of his life, even through all the pain they'd inflicted on each other. In spite of the divorce, of his current relationship with Meredith, of being 3000 miles apart, he still loved her.

Addison nodded and looked at him with her poignant eyes, offering him a small smile of understanding. She was the only person who could ever understand Derek's sentiment, and the messed up and severely complicated place in which he stood. "Me too."

She paused for a moment and then continued. "But we're in a good place now. Derek. We may not have ended up together in the way we had planned on doing, but we're okay."

Derek returned the sad smile and then leaned in slowly to kiss her chastely on the lips. When he pulled away, he watched Addison keep her eyes closed in an attempt to savor the moment. Then she opened her eyes, smiled up at him warmly, and nodded curtly.

"We're in a position where we can love each other without hurting each other," she said, knowing that was a good thing. "You're happy, and I'm _trying _to be happy, and we just... where we are is good."

He nodded, agreeing, a melancholy expression settling itself on his face. "We're in a good place," he confirmed. He may not have Addison as his wife now, but he had her in so many other ways. He wished he never lost her, or lost sight of her, but she was right. They were in a good place.

"I never told you," Addison continued, sitting up straighter on the couch but keeping her hand in Derek's, "that I have a favorite line."

He cocked his head to the side and raised his brow. He knew she was talking about the song. "I used to think it was the line with your name," he said, smiling. "_Summery_," he teased.

Addison rolled her eyes. "Shut up," she laughed, playfully hitting him on the chest. "The hall was loud and I could barely hear that part," she reasoned.

"Thirteen years later, and that's the excuse you're giving me?" he asked, not that he was keeping exact track of the number of years he and Addison would've been married. But he shook his head inwardly. Who was he kidding?

"Well, it's true. I've been singing it in the bathroom for eleven years, you never bothered to correct me."

Derek laughed, stroking Addison's hair as he did so. "I'm sorry," he apologized, still sporting a grin. "But you were saying? About your favorite line?" he prompted.

Addison turned serious again, and the same wistful mood settled between the two of them easily.

"It was... _And she would breathe the life back into me_."

Derek had to close his eyes, finishing the line in his head. _From everyday until eternity_. For some reason, that made him all the more downhearted, at least for a moment.

Addison didn't need to explain why it was her favorite line. It was understood.

"You still do, Adds," he whispered quietly.

Addison smiled at him appreciatively, a minute amount of relief flowing through her. "Good to know."

* * *

><p>ONE. LAST. :)) I wonder. Do you guys want the bittersweet ending or the happy one for the last installment? I wrote two but I can't really decide. I'm thinking of posting both, but that would make this a 6-part telling, and that's like false advertising. LOL. :)) Let me know what you think! Thanks, guys!<p> 


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